Former India batsman Nari Contractor suffered a head fracture after being hit by a Charlie Griffith bouncer on the 1962 tour of the Caribbean. Now, 60 years later, the metal plate inserted in the head through surgery has been removed at a Mumbai hospital on medical advice as Contractor was having pain. The surgery went off very well. He is stable and recovering well,” Contractor’s son, Hoshedar, said.
“It was an hour-long surgery. ”Contractor, who is 88, was struck on the head by Griffith’s delivery in India’s side game against Barbados on the 1962 tour. The injury was very serious and it required many emergency operations before doctors declared he was out of danger. To protect Contractor from suffering any further damage in the injured area, a titanium plate was inserted. The doctors advised its removal due to degeneration of the skin over the plate as they saw a risk of future infection. A left-handed opening batter, Contractor played 31 Tests from 1955 to 1972. He underwent the procedure at the Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai. At the time Contractor was seriously injured, cricket batsmen did not wear helmets. During his playing days, Contractor was considered a glamour boy of Indian cricket. In an interview with Simi Garewal in 1999, former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa stated that as a schoolgirl she had a crush on Contractor.
